Local heated washing machine and the like



w 1940- n. E. CRONKHITE ET AL 2,215,604

LOCAL HEATED WASHING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed March 14, 1938 BY a (Vii/Q55 Lil/5. A'ICTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,215,604 LOCAL nan-mo wssmo mourns Ann run use ma a. (Ironkhite and Charles E. Iewis,

Indianapolis, Ind.

Application March 1c, 1938, Serial No. 195,929

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a self-contained water heating attachment for the heating of water and the like for a washing machine, to which the attachment may be applied.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a local heater for heating water in a washing machine, for example, such machine being of the hand operated or self-contained power operable We- One object of the invention is to heat the water in such a machine to a temperature correspondingto the boiling temperature and at the same time prevent the formation of steam.

The chief feature of the invention consists in i5 associating a water heater with a water utilizing device, such as a washer, whereby the water in such device may be heated without formation of excessive suds.

One feature of the invention in addition to all the accomplishment of the foregoing object is in providing a construction that may be applied to individual devices, such as washing machines, and the like, and which'are capable of operation without connection to a-utility service.

5 The full nature oi the invention -will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims.

In the drawing the figure is a central sectional view through a conventional form of a local power operable washing machine with the invention op plied thereto.

In the drawing it indicates a conventional representation of a washing machine water con= taming chamber having the supporting frame work I! and including a clothes washing attach= ment such as cylinder l2 therein mounted on'a shaft i3 driven in any suitable manner by a power element l5, in turn driven by a gasoline or hero;

sene operable motor It, the latter also driving a shaft ii that is arranged for wringer operation. The mechanism diagrammatically indicated at is is a conventional control for selectively connecting or disconnecting the cylinder shaft E8 or the wringer driving shaft i? to or from power shaft IS. The chamber in base discharge is controlled by valve 20. So much of the aforesaid, including the removable cover 2|, is intended to describe a conventional form of washingmachine in which the upper water level is indicated by the numeral 22.

There is suitably secured to the machine an insulated jacket structure ll having an aperture at its upper end andwhich communicates by gel. 68-15) washing machine chamber iii as at 27 and above the water level 22.

The construction 24 has an open lower end 28 and positioned therebeneath is a support 29 that supports a local heater 30 which may be kerosene 5 or gasoline operable. The heater 30 discharges the products of combustion upwardly through the chamber 26 and the same enter the covered chamber i 0 by way of conduit 26 and build up a pressure in the upper portion of the chamber above the 10 water level in so far as the cover 2i closes the upper end of the chamber lb.

'Positioned within the insulated housing M is p a conical heating coil 3|, the lower end of which as at 82 is in free communication with the interior 15 of the chamber l0 and near the bottom thereof, such communication, however, being protected by the screen arrangement 33 so that soap particles and the like, will not be drawn in to the the heating c0113! discharges at 36 to the interior of the chamber to and slightly below, for example about it", the level of the water therein, the same being indicated by the numeral 22.

v The 'cycle'of operation is as follows: For farm 25 and suburban use where utility service is not available, the washing machine shown herein is illledwith water to the desired level. The heater to is then lighted and by thermosyphon circulation, the water in the tank is gradually brought go I up to boiling temperature and without the forma= tion of steal-nor the like, because at the same time the products of combustion are discharged into the upper part of the chamber, thereby building up a back pressure in the chamber id.

The screen 33 prevents circulation of any soap chips, and the like, from being freed from the side walls of the container and passing into the conical heating tube 3! and clogging the same. When the water has been sumciently heated, the w heating action is stopped by stopping heater so and then the motor it is started for washing purposes. Screen 350 may also be provided when desired. v

The clothes to be washed are supplied to the washing drum i2 and then power is applied fromthe motor It to the drum, through the control i8. After the clothes have been sumcientlywashed, the control it is energized to disconnect the cylinder I! from the motor l8. The clothes then may be removed from the cylinder when the cover ii is removed. At this time, control l8 is actuated to connect the shaft II of the power supply to the wringer mechanism to the motor I! and the clothes then, as they are taken from as water heating coil 3|. The upper or apex end ofwhich effects the cleaning and not the suds, these merely representing the fact the soap has been sumciently dissolved in the water. If desired, the heater may be provided with the control valves 38 at the intake end and 38 at the discharge end, and such valve additions are auxiliary in character.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawing and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in charfee acter.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In combination a covered container adapted to contain suds forming liquid in an appreciable amount sufficient to fill more than half of the container and providing an air space above the liquid level and below the cover of the container, and a heating mechanism Juxtapositioned relative to the container and having a liquid heat ing conduit communicating at opposite ends with the container for cycling the liquid therein in the heating thereof, said heating mechanism including a self-contained heating'element comprising a discharge means for the products of combustion from said mechanism, said means communicating with the air chamber above the liquid level in the container for the restricted venting of the products of combustion, the heating mechanism products of combustion creating sutflcient back pressure in the container above the liquid level therein to prevent the excessive formation of suds in the container, the liquid heating conduit discharging into the container below the normal liquid level thereof and adjacent that liquid level, the liquid discharge and combustion means discharge being substantially vertically aligned.

2. In combination a covered container adapted to contain suds forming liquid in an appreciable amount suflicient to fill more than half of the container and providing an air space above the liquid level and below the cover of the container, and a heating mechanism juxtapositioned rela tive to the container and having a liquid heating conduit communicating at opposite ends with the container for cycling the liquid therein in the heating thereof, said heating mechanism including a self-contained heating element comprising a discharge means for the products of combustion from said mechanism, said means communicating with the air chamber above the liquid level in the container for the restricted venting of the products of combustion, the heating mechanism products of combustion creating sumcient back pressure in the container above the liquid level therein to prevent the excessive formation of suds in the container, the liquid heating conduit discharging into the container below the normal liquid level thereof and adjacent that liquid level, the combustion discharge means discharging to the container approximately midway between the top thereof and the normal liquid level.

DEAN E. CRONKHITE. CHARLES E. LEWIS. 

